The English Civil Wars, Interregnum, and Restoration

The civil wars of the 1640s in England were rooted in the conflicts between Charles I and his Parliament in the 1620s and the policies which were instituted in the 1630s, when Charles ruled without Parliament. His religious policies were resented: the apparently weakened stance regarding Catholics incensed the Puritans, as did the emphasis on the prayer book and its procedures, which curtailed the development of new religious practises and observances. In 1640-1642, a new Parliament was called which attempted religious and political reform, ultimately resulting in the first Civil War (1642-1646), which pitted king against parliament. The war was disorganized, and its outcome was determined not primarily by military factors, but hy economic, religious, and political factors. The heavy taxation, extreme religious reform, and wide powers granted to parliamentary agents led to the second Civil War (1647-1649), which was primarily...